Racehorse TALK

Frankel Rated Best 2YO In 13 Years

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: Galileo colt Frankel's staggering 10 lengths victory in the G2 Royal Lodge Stakes at Ascot on Saturday has seen the youngster rated the best two-year-old in Europe for 13 years by Timeform.

Galileo Photo by Studs

The benchmark ratings organisation have given Prince Khalid Abdulla's unbeaten home-bred a rating of 129p, the highest figure achieved by a European juvenile since Xaar in 1997.

Timeform stated: "Less numbers than in recent renewals of the Royal Lodge, but any lack of quantity was more than made up for by the quality of Frankel, his effort not only smashing the standards but exceeding any 2yo so far this season, in a complete league of his own as he stormed clear of useful rivals.

“The gallop was on the steady side until around halfway, and it was literally a one-horse show as soon as (Tom) Queally decided to make his move from last place.

"Frankel is on his way to the top, quite rightly now a clear favourite for next year's classics, as this was something very special, not only jumping to the head of the 2YO division in 2010 but, when allowing for the amount he had in hand, producing one of the best performances from any juvenile in recent years, verging on top-class after just three runs and having the potential to do more still, including this year with the Dewhurst or Racing Post Trophy reportedly on the agenda."

If Frankel is crowned Europe's Champion 2YO of 2010 he will join other Galileo colts Teofilo (2006) and New Approach (2007).

Features

AJC Spring Carnival

Spring Carnival

Melbourne Cup

Cox Plate

Caulfield Cup

It is a remarkable record that will give Galileo the Champion juvenile in three of his five crops to date.

Ladbrokes "happy" to quote Frankel at a standout 5-4 for the Guineas

  PICTURE: Mark Cranham (racingpost.com/photos)

Firms at odds over Frankel Guineas price

FRANKEL'S victory in Saturday's Dubai Dewhurst Stakes resulted in him being made 4-5 favourite for the 2,000 Guineas by William Hill, Coral and Totesport - although whether he will remain odds-on through the winter is open to some doubt as other firms were not quite so impressed.

Ladbrokes went a top-priced 5-4 (from 2) following his two-and-a-quarter-length success over 25-1 shot Roderic O'Connor at Newmarket, their spokesman David Williams saying: "We fully expect the 5-4 to be competitive. We're neither questioning nor doubting his talent, but with so long to wait until May 2011 we're happy to dangle the carrot at this stage with the odds-against quote."

Most firms cut Frankel to evens for the Guineas, while Hills offered 5-1 the Henry Cecil-trained colt wins the Guineas and Derby - for which he is 4-1 with Coral, that firm perhaps reacting to Cecil's comments that he doubts Frankel will develop into a 1m4f colt next year.

Roderic O'Connor was cut to 12-1 (from 50) for the Guineas by Hills.

Cecil, jockey Tom Queally and owner-breeder Khalid Abdullah also took the other Group 1 at Newmarket on Saturday with Twice Over, whom Paddy Power quoted at 6-1 to win the 2011 Dubai World Cup. Ladbrokes priced Cecil at 8-1 to win the trainers' title next year.

Gitano Hernando finished a fair fourth to Twice Over in the Emirates Airline Champion Stakes, and was cut to 16-1 (from 20) by Stan James for the Breeders' Cup Classic.

Trainer Marco Botti said: "The lack of pace did not help us. We were sat in a good position but William Buick on Debussy came across and stopped us in our run. We could not quicken again then off that slow pace."

He added: "He has handled the turf well. Mr [Gary] Barber, the horse's owner, will decide, but we are likely to be heading for the Breeders' Cup, possibly for the Classic."